Budapest to host 2024 short course swimming world championships

Budapest will host the 2024 short course swimming world championships, it has been announced.

FINA made the decision on the sidelines of the World Aquatics Championships in Budapest that the 2022 short course championships would be held in Russia, followed by Hungary's hosting two years later.

Swimming is an important part of Hungary's sporting history, and the nation has proved successful at the discipline over the past 50 years.

The Hungarian government is encouraging the nation to take up sports and is investing in sporting events to help motivate the population and showcase Hungary to the world.

Budapest will host a junior synchronized swimming world championship next year, and a junior swimming world championship in 2019. This will be followed by European championships of swimming, water polo, synchronized swimming and diving in 2020.

Zoltán Balog, minister of Human Capacities, highlighted that the Duna Arena swimming complex had not been completed for a single occasion.

Miklós Seszták, minister for National Development, and the head of the organizing committee, said Budapest had “both the infrastructure and the experience” required to manage a major international sporting event.